Emotionally Lacking
by existence555
Summary: Sai used to love. Now he has regressed to a point where he has no detectable emotions. She'll change that, even if he doesn't want her to. SaixIno oneshot!


**A/N: My second SaiIno. Yeah, this AUish, I think. Hehe. Review!!**

He didn't know what her name was at first, and frankly, he didn't care enough to look at her nametag. The only thing he felt was annoyance that she was so damn bubbly.

"And who are you buying flowers for, handsome?" she asked, a flirty smile beamed straight at him. "Hopefully not a girlfriend?"

"I doubt you need to know that," Sai retorted impassively, his usual smile set into his face.

_Blonde hair, bright enough that Sai felt like shutting his eyes. Was he sensitive to light or sensitive to her?_

Sai was in fact buying flowers to place at the grave of a dead friend. Recently, his old flower shop had closed, and the Yamanaka flower shop was the next cheapest place where the flowers looked good. The flowers _had_ to be good for her. Sai wouldn't feel right giving her any old trash.

"I can have them delivered," she offered.

Sai figured that it would be convenient to have them delivered straight there, so he nodded and told her which cemetery.

"Five o'clock," he told her. "Sharp. I won't be there at any other time."

"No problem sir," she replied. "That'll be just fine."

_Purple clothes, more than enough to catch any guy's eye. Was she naturally flashy or just an attention seeker?_

He went about his usual work for the rest of the day, but that _girl_ kept popping into his head. What gave her the right to be so happy? Didn't she know that happiness was an illusion, an illusion created by smiling all the time or ignoring the world or some twisted combination of both? Sai didn't know her name, he didn't want to know her name, but suddenly, it mattered.

He was surprised and slightly happy when she was the one who took care of his delivery.

She looked down at the label before handing the flowers to him.

"Here you go Sai-san," she said brightly. "I hope they are to your taste."

He nodded and accepted the flowers, examining the receipt to make sure they were his.

_Ino_. It said right on the receipt, Yamanaka Ino. It was a pretty name, and it suited her well too. Sai stared at the headstone for a few moments, thinking about the girl that was now lying under it, and her lips brushing over his… Kisses were something of the past, little things that Sai never wanted to experience again, not when she was there, in the ground.

"How did she die?" Ino asked softly.

"Life is fleeting," Sai answered breezily, as if it didn't bother him at all.

"That's it?" Ino queried. "You don't cry or anything?"

He was taken aback by the horror in the blonde's expression.

_Sensitive, but not in an overly sappy way. Just sweet enough that she's still got spice._

"Why should I cry?" he asked, genuinely curious. "Will it be of any benefit to me?"

He thought that because of his obvious lack of feelings she would recoil from him, call him sick, or maybe even hit him like most people seemed to do. This girl just sighed.

"Sai-san," Ino began. "It's not healthy to keep your emotions stifled like that."

"Emotions?" Sai chuckled. "I'm not seeing any. Are you?"

"Please," Ino rolled her eyes.

_Blue eyes, blue like the ocean, blue like the sky. But was he drowning or flying?_

"Just because you hide them doesn't mean they aren't there," she told him. "Unless you think it's just not manly to cry or something."

"Are you a grief counselor or something?" he questioned her, eyebrows raised.

"Obviously I know better than you how to deal with tragedies," Ino retorted.

_Attitude, independent and not afraid of what others think. Disagree with her and she'll shoot you right down._

"Have you ever lost anyone?" Sai asked pointedly.

"I doubt you need to know that," Ino replied evenly. "But yes, yes I have. And saying goodbye is not easy, Sai-san. But it has to be done."

Sai wasn't really listening to what she was saying anymore.

_Pink lips, glossier even than her hair. It seems that even when they are being innocent, there's something playful about them._

"I don't cry," Sai insisted flatly.

"Well if you're going to play the macho man part, by all means go ahead," Ino shrugged, a disgusted look on her face. "See if I care."

"Why _do_ you care?" he asked. "All you were supposed to do is deliver flowers."

Ino turned to leave.

"I suppose you're right," she agreed. "Goodbye then, Sai-san."

He watched out of the corner of his eye as she left.

Sai was going to do what he had done every year for the past four years, but he changed his mind. He gently put the tulips down in front of her grave and sat next to them.

"Would you have wanted me to move on?" he sighed, looking up at the sky.

Sai was squinting as the sun shone straight into his eyes.

_Ino's hair was still brighter._

"I guess that's a yes," he whispered.

And then something that Sai hadn't expected in a million years to ever happen, happened. Sai began to cry. He didn't realize how long he sat there, but by the time he was done, the sun was setting. Colors mixed freely in the sky, even a purple that Sai found inexplicably magnificent.

_Maybe he would go to the flower shop again tomorrow, to see her. Ino._

"Sai-san," a voice came from behind him.

"Ino?" he asked tentatively.

He turned around to find a smiling Yamanaka Ino.

_Beautiful smile, many times more genuine than his own. He hadn't thought she could get any prettier, but that smile just lit up her face completely._

"Looks like I'm a pretty good grief counselor," she teased.

She put her hand out to help him up.

"How long were you there?" Sai inquired.

"Long enough," Ino replied. "Now, are you going to get up or what?"

He took hold of her hand but instead of hauling himself up, he pulled her down next to him.

"You're a great girl, Ino," Sai told her quietly.

"Oh you're going to have to do better than that," Ino grinned. "I've heard that one hundreds of times."

"I think you've managed to awaken something that hasn't existed inside of me in years," he smiled.

"Mm that's definitely better," she winked.

_Lips so inviting that they could drive one to the point of insanity._

"I don't want to go insane," Sai muttered, not making any sense to Ino.

She looked at him, perplexed, but she didn't have much time for confusion. His lips were on hers, hesitating as if he had forgotten how this was supposed to go. Ino didn't mind guiding him through it. Her hand made its way to the back of his neck, gently pushing him closer to her. It didn't take long for his hands to become entangled in her hair, or for her to push him down so that she was on top of him.

_Kisses so passionate that he could swear her mouth was on fire._

When he finally pulled away, Ino glared at him, though she didn't get up.

"I'm not usually this easy," she told him.

"And I'm not usually this emotional," Sai shot back.

"Well looks like we bring out unusual things in each other," Ino murmured.

"That's acceptable," Sai said.

Ino looked at him quizzically, a hint of annoyance present in her gaze.

"Acceptable?!" she exclaimed. "I'm only _acceptable_?"

"Very acceptable?" Sai tried again.

"Oh I am so outta here," Ino groaned, pretending to get up.

"Okay okay," Sai grabbed her hand. "What do you want me to say?"

"Something romantic!" Ino answered, still glaring at him.

He thought for a minute, not letting go of her hand. Looking around, he was reminded of time of day.

"You are more beautiful than the sun," he told her, motioning to the sky.

"That'll do for now," Ino grinned. "But we'll work on the whole romance thing."

"Then let's work on it," Sai smiled back.

He kissed her again, this time not as willing to let her go.

_Flowery scent, comforting and delicious at the same time. Once inhaled, it's addictive._


End file.
